Recommended Protocols for Monitoring Impacts of Wind Turbines on Birds. April Environment Canada Canadian Wildlife Service

Transcription

1 Recommended Protocols for Monitoring Impacts of Wind Turbines on Birds Environment Canada Canadian Wildlife Service

2 Recommended Protocols for Monitoring Impacts of Wind Turbines on Birds prepared by Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Uses of this document... 3 Field data collection... 4 Reporting requirements... 5 Pre-construction (baseline) sampling methods... 6 Breeding season... 6 Non-breeding season... 7 Offshore locations... 9 Bats... 9 Overview of post-construction follow-up studies Breeding season Non-breeding season Carcass searches Collision studies Appendix 1. Details of selected sampling protocols Area searches Standardized area searches Line transects (distance sampling) Behavioural studies (watch counts) Point counts Microphone point counts Playback counts Stopover counts Passage migration counts Acoustic monitoring of migrating birds Radar monitoring Carcass searches Estimating collisions using other methods Appendix 2. Codes for breeding evidence Appendix 3. Sample data sheet for ten-minute point counts Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 2

3 Introduction Uses of this document To fulfil the requirements of a federal environmental assessment (EA), the proponent of a wind-powered generating station (whether a large wind energy installation or a single turbine) may be required to gather baseline information on the birds that use and move through the area to be developed, and to provide follow-up information on the actual impact of the installation on the birds of the area (for more details see Environment Canada s Wind Turbines and Birds: a Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment, available at: The current document has been developed to provide proponents with information on the types of protocols likely to be useful for baseline studies and follow-up monitoring at proposed wind energy sites to evaluate impacts of wind turbines on birds. However, proponents should not use this document on its own without consulting biologists from the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada (CWS). The most appropriate protocols for a project depend on the particular location and the risk factors at that location. Only some of the protocols in this document are likely to be required at any given site; conversely, some circumstances (e.g., offshore installations) may require protocols not covered in this document. Pre-construction monitoring typically can be completed in one year, except in areas with particularly high uncertainty such as offshore installations. However, at any site, additional monitoring may be required if inappropriate protocols are used and inadequate data are collected in the first year. This could cause delays in approval. CWS biologists, if consulted in the early planning stages of a project, can help determine which protocols are most appropriate for a particular installation, and the appropriate level of effort to invest in each, thus greatly reducing the risk that data will not be adequate for the assessment. While only those species of birds specified in the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA) are under federal jurisdiction, this guide suggests study methods that are suitable for gathering information on all bird species. Some protocols, particularly postconstruction mortality monitoring studies, may also be appropriate for monitoring impacts to bats. Bats have been found to be particularly vulnerable to wind energy installations in some areas. However, this document does not specifically address monitoring requirements for bats, and in particular does not address pre-construction monitoring for bats. Proponents are reminded that bats and all non-mbca bird species are under provincial or territorial jurisdiction; the protocols suggested in this document are not meant to replace information provided by provincial or territorial authorities. Proponents are urged to contact the relevant provincial or territorial authorities to determine what requirements or expectations they may have with respect to bat monitoring pre- or post-construction. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 3

4 Field data collection It is very important that field workers hired to perform surveys outlined in this document are skilled at identifying birds by song and call and by sight. This requires knowledge of all the bird species that might be found in any particular habitat and the skill to identify individual bird songs from a chorus of mixed-species bird songs. Generally, if a person is a regular participant in the annual Breeding Bird Survey (a continental bird survey programme administered in Canada by the CWS) or any other national bird survey programme that requires an equivalent or better ability, and is familiar with birds in the region where the survey is being undertaken, then he or she is probably capable of undertaking this work. Proponents are responsible for ensuring that field staff carrying out bird surveys have adequate skills. If a skilled field worker familiar with songs is not available, it may be possible to use electronic recording devices to record bird songs for later analysis. This approach has been adopted by a number of monitoring programs, including the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program and is described in further detail under microphone point counts in Appendix 1. With present technology, this still requires a person skilled in identifying bird songs to do the final identification, but the interpretation can be done outside of the breeding season when field experts may be more readily available, and does not require the expert to travel to the field site. A field worker must still be available who is able to identify birds visually for surveys of species that are rarely detected by song, such as waterbirds or raptors, or for surveys outside of the breeding season when most birds are not singing. Using the same field workers to carry out the pre-construction baseline studies and the follow-up surveys is recommended as a means to help standardise comparisons. Even a highly skilled observer will not manage to detect every bird that is singing at the same time, and the proportion of birds detected varies among observers. As a result, many trend analysis programs, including those for the Breeding Bird Survey, only analyse trends in data collected by the same observers. Proponents should be aware that the personnel used by a contracting company may vary from year to year, and that using the same company does not guarantee the same personnel. Furthermore, despite initial intentions, it may sometimes happen that the same personnel are not available for follow-up surveys. For this reason, it is desirable for field work to include a means of estimating detection probabilities or observer validation in the protocols. For surveys based on bird songs (such as point counts), one way to do this is to make recordings of some or all of the point counts using appropriate equipment, and have the recordings analysed independently (see microphone point counts in Appendix 1). Digital copies of any recordings should be submitted with the EA and deposited with the monitoring database (see next section) along with appropriate documentation on the date, time, location, weather conditions, and equipment used. These can later be interpreted by one or more additional experts if it is necessary to compare observers. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 4

5 This is most likely to be a concern if the site contains habitat that supports significant numbers of breeding songbirds. CWS biologists can advise whether this is likely to be the case. Reporting requirements Proponents are required to include the results of pre-construction surveys in their Environmental Impact Assessments. Post-construction survey and monitoring results are required to be written up and submitted to the CWS as part of follow-up. Proponents are also asked to make available raw survey data from standardized protocols for both pre- and post-construction monitoring. The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and the CWS are collaborating to develop a database for the collection of bird-related data from Canadian wind energy projects, particularly for data collected using protocols recommended in this document. This national database will be used by CWS researchers to increase understanding of environmental effects of turbines on birds including the potential for cumulative effects related to habitat displacement or direct mortality. The results of these analyses will be particularly valuable for informing future monitoring requirements, in particular determining which monitoring data are most useful for predicting impacts (by comparing pre- and postconstruction data), and Environment Canada will also use the results to update these protocols and the companion document Wind Turbines and Birds: a Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment, to make the EA process as efficient as possible. Analyses can also provide information on potential mitigation measures if significant adverse impacts are detected. Provisions will be made to ensure that proprietary interests are protected for all data submitted. While it is desirable to provide some results for the public, this will be at a very general level, to protect the concerns of individual proponents. Any released data will not be linked to particular projects and will not provide sensitive information without the consent of the proponent. Normally, data from pre-construction baseline studies would not be deposited into the shared database until after EA approval and the start of construction, even though the results and data are required to be a part of the information submitted through the EA process 1. Post-construction raw data and results should be deposited annually into the shared database and thereby reported to the CWS. During the initial development phase, provision of data to this database by proponents will be on a voluntary basis, though it is hoped that most companies will participate. Once the database is fully operational and all parties (CanWEA, CWS and industry) are satisfied that it meets their needs for information storage and security, then it may become an expectation of EA approval that all companies would submit their data. Proponents may want to consider including data entry into the database as part of the contracted requirements of the company or persons hired to perform the studies. 1 This database will not be ready until the middle of In the meantime, proponents should retain all their raw data so that they can be entered in the database once it is available. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 5

6 Pre-construction (baseline) sampling methods This section provides an overview of the types of sampling that might be expected preconstruction as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. For sampling methods highlighted in bold, further details on protocols are given in Appendix I. Note that the amount of sampling required will vary considerably among sites, depending on the size of the site, the nature of the habitats at the site, and the numbers and species of birds expected, as reflected in the Level of Concern scores (see Environment Canada s Wind Turbines and Birds: a Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment for details on the Level of Concern scores). For some sites, very little sampling will be required. As noted in the introduction, proponents should consult with the CWS prior to commencing surveys to determine the appropriate choice of protocols and level of effort. Breeding season Breeding season surveys should be designed to determine which species regularly use the area for nesting, for foraging during the breeding season, or for raising their young, and to obtain measures of abundance of bird species using the area. Such data will be used to predict the potential impact to breeding birds of developing turbines on a site and (when combined with post-assessment monitoring) to quantify the actual impact, if construction proceeds, in order to test the predictions. Area searches are an effective means for developing a species list for a site. This method involves visiting all of the different habitat types in an area, at various times of day and year when different species are most readily detected. A list is kept of all bird species encountered, preferably with an estimate of numbers and information on any breeding evidence found (e.g., nests, carrying food, territorial behaviour, etc.). This is essentially the same approach as is used for regional Breeding Bird Atlases which have been used to map the distribution of breeding birds in several provinces of Canada (for example, see the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas guide to participants available on: In its simplest form, an area search does not require standardized effort, although the amount of effort should be recorded. Quantitative estimates of bird abundance can involve a variety of protocols. For most songbirds, the most widely used method involves point counts. For monitoring turbine sites, 10-minute point counts are recommended, spread through the project area. For projects with more than 10 turbines proposed, this would normally require at least 20 point counts in each major natural habitat type; this can be scaled back for small projects (< 10 turbines) or if the area of natural habitat likely to be affected is small. Point counts should be repeated twice over the course of the breeding season to ensure that both early and late breeders are detected. Some bird surveys involve shorter point counts (3 minutes or 5 minutes) but those are generally more appropriate for large scale surveys (e.g., province-wide) rather than for specific sites of interest such as wind energy installations. Because of minimum spacing requirements between point count Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 6

7 stations, 20 stations may not fit within either the entire project area or within a particular habitat type, in which case the sampling can be reduced accordingly. Particularly if the project involves any potentially important habitats for songbirds, it is highly recommended that at least some of the point counts be concurrently recorded using microphones and digital recorders so that later analysis of recordings can be used to adjust for variation among observers (see section on microphone point counts for more information on benefits and limitations of this approach). For surveys involving birds not readily detected by song (such as waterfowl or shorebirds or birds on migration), an alternative quantitative measure is a standardized area search. This involves selecting a particular area (which may be the complete study area or carefully selected smaller plots) and recording all individuals of each species encountered during a standardized visit. This is most effective for species readily detected visually (such as waterfowl or shorebirds) or if the study area is relatively small. A variation on this method involves line transects which can be of either fixed width or variable width. Colonial species often require special survey methods to count, or estimate, the total number of nests in the colony. However, contractors should be aware that many colonial waterbirds are quite sensitive to disturbance, and it is usually inadvisable to enter colonies during the nesting season. If a waterbird colony is present at the site (e.g., gulls, terns, herons, cormorants, seabirds) the contractor should make a rough estimate of numbers without actually entering the colony and then contact the CWS for advice on how to proceed. The appropriate advice will depend on the location of the colony, the area it covers, the species present in the colony, and the estimated number of birds in the colony. For some secretive bird species, such as marsh birds and some raptors, especially owls, playback methods may be required to determine presence/absence or to estimate numbers. These involve playing recordings of the birds territorial calls at the edge of suitable habitat during the appropriate time of day and year, and listening for a response. In most cases, such surveys can be qualitative, to determine presence or breeding evidence, unless the project area includes a large wetland or important habitat for a species at risk that is difficult to detect. In that case, a more quantitative survey may be recommended: contact the CWS for more details on designing a study to suit a particular area. Non-breeding season Areas that contain habitats that may be important for migrants as stopover sites or wintering areas should be surveyed to determine whether they support large numbers of birds in these seasons. Some areas may also have high concentrations of birds flying through them, in which case there is a concern whether they may be flying at heights comparable to the blades of the wind turbines. Depending on the habitats present in an area, the geographic location of the area, and prior knowledge of when birds travel through the general area, this may involve surveys during both spring and autumn migration as well as in winter. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 7

8 Passage migration Birds flying through the project site on migration may be at risk of colliding with turbines. Passage migration counts are done to determine the number of birds flying through or over an area. Quantitative monitoring of passage migration will normally only be required if there is particular reason to believe migration will be concentrated at a site (e.g., large numbers of migrants known to pass through, wind energy installation is on a ridge top or within mountain passes, or data from similar areas elsewhere suggest migrants may be concentrated). For diurnal migrants, such as raptors, some songbirds, or some waterbirds, this can involve standing at a suitable vantage point and recording the numbers of each species passing by, taking note of whether they are flying through areas where turbines are proposed to be built. Many songbirds, as well as owls and some waterbirds, migrate mainly at night. Full quantification of nocturnal migration typically requires radar but an index of migration activity can often be obtained by acoustic monitoring. Migration rates vary considerably from one day to the next, depending on weather conditions, so fairly intensive surveys (several days per week) are required to get a quantitative understanding of migration at a site. If daily coverage is not possible then efforts should be concentrated on days when weather conditions are favourable for large-scale migration. Information on migration volume, derived from analyses of weather radar data may help to calibrate local studies. Migration stopover For quantitative surveys of stopover use, a variation on an area search called a stopover count is usually recommended in which one or more standardized transects are walked, and all birds seen or heard within a specified distance of the transect are recorded. The distance should be chosen such that birds can be readily identified within that distance, and will not be counted twice from different transects or different parts of the transect. In some areas or for some species (e.g., birds), it may be appropriate to also count birds beyond that distance. Transect(s) should be selected to sample all major habitats present on the site. Time of day and time of tide (for coastal areas) should be standardized to the time when birds are most readily counted. For songbirds, early morning is generally preferable, although raptors may be more readily detected later in the day. In most cases, these surveys should be made approximately once a week throughout the spring and autumn migration season. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to modify this protocol to involve more intensive (e.g., daily) surveys during peak migration periods for particular species of concern. If significant concentrations of birds are present (such as migrating raptors or large flocks of waterbirds), behavioural studies should also be undertaken to assess whether the behaviour of birds using the area leads to a risk of collision with turbines. One approach, sometimes called a watch count, requires the observer to be stationed Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 8

9 at a particular vantage point and to count the number of times birds move through potential turbine locations or other areas of concern. Overwintering Counts during the winter (e.g., November to March) should be carried out if the habitat characteristics lead to an expectation of, or if there is a history of, significant use of the area by overwintering birds (e.g., songbirds, raptors, waterfowl). Standardized area searches are the most effective survey methods, using protocols similar to those recommended for migration stopover studies. As with migration stopover studies, if significant numbers of birds are present, searches should be complemented with behavioural studies to determine whether birds flying through areas will be within the future blade-swept area if turbines are built. Winter visits should be done once or twice per month to estimate numbers of birds using an area, although more frequent visits may be needed for behavioural studies in areas with known concentrations of birds. Offshore locations At offshore locations, specialized survey methods may be required. Although there is some concern about direct mortality from turbines, the greatest problem, at least based on the European experience, appears to be displacement of seabirds from areas that may be important for feeding or commuting. This could potentially have population level consequences if large portions of a population are excluded from high quality habitat or forced to fly much longer distances around a site. Surveys must be designed to assess usage of the area throughout the year, for commuting, migration and foraging. In addition to monitoring bird activity, this may require monitoring of food supplies. Appropriate survey methods may include shipboard line transects, platform-based observations, and radar monitoring. The preferred combination will depend upon how much is known about the area and what risks are anticipated. Given limited knowledge about most sites, two years of pre-construction monitoring may be necessary to assess annual variation. Because offshore wind energy installations have not yet been developed in Canada, standard guidelines are not yet available on the amount of monitoring required this will need to be determined on a case by case basis. Once further experience has been obtained, standards for these surveys will be included in future updates to this document. Whichever methods are chosen, data should be recorded in a standardized fashion for that method, as described below, to ensure the data can be compared with results from other locations, and stored in the standardized database. Bats There is increasing evidence that some wind energy installation, even in agricultural settings, can intercept and kill large numbers of bats. As a result, it may be important to monitor prospective wind energy installation sites to determine whether any of the sites present an elevated risk for substantial bat mortality. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 9

10 Bats fall outside of federal jurisdiction unless they are a species at risk, and proponents should contact the relevant provincial or territorial wildlife department to determine what requirements they may have for monitoring of bats or bat activity. Several provinces are in the process of developing written guidelines. Links will be provided to these documents as they become available. Alberta has completed a document: Lausen, C. E. Baerwald, J. Gruver, R. Barclay. March Bats and Wind Turbines. Pre-siting and pre-construction survey protocols. Appendix 5 In: Vonhof, M Handbook of Inventory Methods and Standard Protocols for Surveying Bats in Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Edmonton, Alberta. Revised Information on obtaining this document is available at Some of these protocols may also be relevant in other jurisdictions, but this must be determined in consultation with the relevant authorities. Some monitoring techniques relevant for birds will also provide information on bats, especially radar monitoring and post-construction carcass searches. These are mentioned under the respective sections outlining those techniques. Overview of post-construction follow-up studies This section provides an overview of the types of sampling that can be expected postconstruction as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. The precise requirements will be determined as a condition of the approval process. For sampling methods highlighted in bold, further details on protocols are given in Appendix 1. Breeding season At sites that support reasonable densities of native breeding birds (as demonstrated by pre-construction assessment), follow-up monitoring should be undertaken using the same techniques to those used during pre-construction assessment. The purpose of these surveys is to determine the consequences of the turbines to species diversity, to evaluate the predictions made during the EA process, to evaluate the cumulative effects of the industry on bird diversity and numbers, and to detect significant changes in numbers at single sites. If baseline studies indicated a very low level of native bird diversity and numbers (as might be expected of installations within industrial parks or intensive row crops), then follow-up breeding season studies are unlikely to be required. This should be determined through consultation with the CWS. If post-construction surveys are required, then normally at least two or three years of breeding season surveys would be needed to differentiate any possible effects of the turbines from natural year-to-year variation, and to separate short-term from long-term effects. In areas of lower concern, it may be appropriate to start these surveys the second year after construction, and limit surveys to two years. If results appear to be significant, but vary substantially among years, then in some cases additional surveys Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 10

11 may be requested to consider longer term effects (e.g., repeat surveys 5 or 10 years later). Breeding season surveys are not especially onerous, and could be expected to require no more than 4-10 person-days of field work each year, except on very large sites. Non-breeding season If baseline studies during the non-breeding season suggest that the area is important for birds at these times of the year (determined through consultation with the CWS), then similar studies to those performed in the baseline work should be repeated to gauge the consequences of the turbines presence on birds during these times. Carcass searches Carcass searches are important, even on sites determined to be of a low level of concern, to evaluate the correctness of the predictions, and to test for the possibility of unexpected risk factors. For example, on some sites where pre-construction surveys suggested a low-risk area, there nevertheless was substantial unanticipated mortality observed for bats. As a minimum standard, 6 to 8 weeks of carcass searches during the spring migration period and 8 to 10 weeks during the fall migration period should be planned for. At sites with a low level of concern, one year of data would normally be sufficient, but at sites in the highest levels of concern, two or three years of monitoring might be required. These requirements may be extended if substantial mortality is observed, particularly to evaluate any mitigation measures that may have been introduced. If turbines are in areas that support significant breeding or wintering populations of species with an elevated risk of mortality from turbines (e.g., raptors or Species at Risk with aerial displays), then carcass searches may be required during the breeding season or in winter. Collision studies In some areas (offshore, bogs, marshes, etc.) carcass searches are impossible or highly impracticable, and alternative methods for estimating collision mortality may be required. Radar has been proposed as one approach. Another approach combines microphones attached to turbines (to detect the sound of collisions) with infra-red video (to identify the species colliding). Protocols for such techniques have been developed in Europe, but have not been widely tested. As a result, an overview of these approaches is included here, but proponents requiring these approaches will need to develop an appropriate protocol, in consultation with the CWS. Proponents constructing a wind energy installation in an area that would require radar-based or other technological approaches to estimating collision rates should be aware that the costs of postconstruction monitoring may be significantly higher than in areas where carcass searches are possible. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 11

12 Appendix 1. Details of selected sampling protocols This Appendix provides further details on some of the sampling protocols that are likely to be appropriate for bird monitoring in the context of wind energy EA. Note that, whichever sampling methods are used, a complete written field protocol describing the exact sampling methods should be provided as part of the documentation and reporting. This documentation should include precise coordinates of all locations surveyed (preferably from GPS). Area searches Area searches are intensive searches with the goal of finding as many bird species as possible present in an area and providing very general information on bird abundance and status. Area searches must be undertaken by a qualified biologist or contractor skilled at recognition by song (during the breeding season) and by sight (at all times of year) of all bird species likely to occur in an area. The minimum searching effort for obtaining a list of breeding species in an area would normally be a few hours for a small wind energy installation, ten or more hours for a medium wind energy installation, twenty or more for a large, and more than twenty for a very large wind energy installation (for details on what constitutes a small, medium, etc., wind energy installation see Environment Canada s Wind Turbines and Birds: a Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment). For very large wind energy installations, a useful rule of thumb is to determine, from bird range maps or breeding bird atlas data, combined with habitat information, the number of species that might be expected in the area. Searching should continue for at least 20 hours, or until at least 80% of the expected number of species have been found (on the assumption that remaining species are probably present in very low numbers). For breeding season studies in areas with a variety of natural habitats, multiple visits increase the chances of detecting species that breed early or late in the season. Searches can be made more efficient by concentrating at times of peak bird activity (early morning for most songbirds, late morning or early afternoon for soaring raptors, early evening for owls and other nocturnal species). The procedure is to search through all the main habitat types in the area and record all birds seen and heard and to estimate the number of individuals detected on each visit. In addition, for breeding season studies, any evidence of breeding should be recorded. Data recorded should include: The level of effort for each visit (date, start time, finish time, hours of searching, and some measure of the area searched, such as the distance covered, or a map of the area that was searched). A complete list of species detected on each visit/each day. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 12

13 If possible (especially for standardized searches see below), an estimate of the number of individuals actually detected (by sound or by sight). For breeding season surveys, data on any breeding evidence detected, using standard breeding bird atlas codes (Appendix 2). A basic description of the habitats covered. These data should be retained for entry into the database. In addition, summary data should be calculated for the EA report that indicate all species detected at each season, with estimates of peak numbers, and total sampling effort. Standardized area searches Standardized area searches are a quantitative variation on an area search in which the area being searched and the search effort are strictly standardized and the number of individuals of each species detected during the sampling period is recorded to provide an index of abundance. For recording songbirds during the breeding season, especially in forested habitats, these are harder to standardize than point counts. However, they may be the best available option for counts outside the breeding season, for sampling species that are not readily detected by song, or when surveying sites that are too small to fit more than a few point counts. Usually these involve sampling only a portion of the study area, unless the study area or the particular habitats of concern (e.g., wetlands or tidal mudflats) can all be sampled on a single survey session. One variation on standardized area searches is a fixed width transect, in which a route (transect) is selected, and all birds within a fixed distance of the transect are recorded. The appropriate transect width depends on habitat and species of interest: for songbirds in heavily vegetated areas, few birds are detected more than 100 m away; for raptors or waterbirds in open areas, birds may be detected and identified at distances of 1 km or more with good optical equipment. Square, circular or rectangular plots up to 1 km 2 have also been used in various circumstances; the area(s) to be surveyed can be any shape, provided that the shape is clearly documented, the effort is standardized, and the same areas are surveyed on each occasion. Data recorded should be the same as for other area searches (see above). Line transects (distance sampling) A line transect is a form of distance sampling which, if assumptions are met, can be used to provide density estimates. The most important assumptions are that transects are placed randomly with respect to habitat, that distance between the transect line and the bird can be accurately estimated, that all birds very close to the transect are detected, that the birds do not move before being detected, and that they are not counted more than once. Random placement of transects is usually only possible in fairly uniform areas. In terrestrial habitats, this is most likely to be possible in grasslands or low shrub areas, but can also sometimes be done in forested areas. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 13

14 Line transect sampling can be a particularly useful technique for shipboard surveys in marine environments (but distance sampling methods can not be used to estimate density for water bird surveys conducted from a beach or shoreline, because the distribution of birds with respect to the coast is usually not random). Transects may be any length that can be conveniently surveyed within the optimal survey times (which would be early morning for songbirds, but may be more flexible for marine birds). This method involves travelling along the transect at a fairly uniform speed, and recording the shortest (perpendicular) distance from the transect to the position where each bird was first detected (note that this would normally be less than the distance between the observer and the bird). Data can be grouped into distance categories (e.g., 25 m distance bands), but if possible, it is preferable to estimate actual distances. If necessary, these can always be grouped during data analysis. If birds are present in flocks or groups, then the distance to the centre of each flock should be recorded, along with the estimated number of birds in the flock. The position of birds along the transect should be recorded as well, usually by dividing the transect into segments, and recording which segment each bird was observed. Segments could be from m long depending on the total transect length and range of habitats traversed. Data recorded for each transect survey should include: Start location and ending location for each segment on the transect as well as the whole transect (or details, preferably in the form of a Geographic Information System (GIS) shape file, of the complete path of the transect if it is not a straight line). Date, start time, and end time for each individual survey. Individual records for each bird (or flock) with its distance from the transect, segment number, and flock size. Alternatively, records can be kept of the total number of birds of each species in each distance band for each segment along the transect. Behavioural studies (watch counts) These may be required when species at risk, raptor concentrations, or flocks of other birds are present in or around a site, to determine whether their behaviour might lead to a significant risk of mortality from wind energy installations. Behavioural studies are intended primarily to determine how birds are using the area, especially to determine whether they are regularly flying through areas that will be swept by blades after the turbines are built, or are using sites or habitats that will be directly affected by the construction process. The optimal protocols depend on the species being observed as well as the topography of the site; a customized design will be required in most cases. This design should be developed by the contractor and submitted to the CWS for review before implementation. A typical study might involve finding a suitable vantage point from which birds can be observed and recording the movements of Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 14

15 birds and the major habitats that they are using at different times throughout the day. Observations should only be undertaken at the appropriate season, on days when significant numbers of the species of interest are present in the area, and should typically be undertaken on multiple days to assess day-to-day variation in activity. Data recorded will depend on details of the sampling protocol but, as a minimum, should include information on dates and times when surveys were undertaken, as well as summary statistics on how often birds, and how many birds flew through potential turbine locations, whether they were flying within, above or below the blade height of turbines to be installed, and how often they used sites that would be disturbed by construction. Point counts To be effective, point counts must be placed at well-chosen locations, carried out by experienced observers (unless microphones are being used to record them see next section) and performed at the appropriate time of day in appropriate weather conditions. Point Count Placement: Point count locations may be chosen either randomly or systematically (e.g., at regular intervals along a route) within the target habitats. If they are placed systematically, then the starting point of the route should be randomly chosen, if possible. Point count locations should be chosen to emphasize areas near prospective turbine sites as much as possible. Point counts should generally not be placed on roadsides, but it is acceptable to select a starting point for a route along an access road. If the area consists of relatively large areas of homogeneous habitat, then point counts should be placed within each major habitat type, ideally with the centre point at least 100 m from the habitat edge. If the project area consists of a fragmented mosaic of habitats (e.g., small fields interspersed with hedgerows and small woodlots) such that it would be hard to place many points >100 m from a habitat edge, it may be more effective to consider the whole landscape as one habitat and place point counts randomly or systematically within it. Every major habitat type within the project area (pine forest, hardwood forest, scrub, grassland, field, etc.) likely to support significant numbers of breeding birds should be included. At least 20 stations are normally required to sample a habitat adequately, spaced at least 250 m apart in forest, or 500 m apart in open habitat. These stations may be distributed among several different blocks of habitat. The number of stations per habitat can be reduced if the total area of a particular habitat within the project site is too small to support 20 stations. If the project is in the large to very large category (see Environment Canada s Wind Turbines and Birds: a Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment) and is situated primarily in one major habitat Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 15

16 type, or if the habitat is very heterogeneous, then 20 stations may be insufficient to cover the breadth of the geographic area and sample the diversity of microhabitat types; for small projects, with limited areas of natural habitat, 20 stations per habitat type may be unnecessary contact the CWS for guidance on sample size in all of these cases. Once station locations have been selected, they can be grouped into routes in a way that allows for maximum efficiency of visits it is not necessary to visit all stations for a particular habitat type on the same day. Post-construction monitoring seeks to assess the impact of turbines on bird abundance and distribution. Two alternative designs for point count placement can be considered: One approach is to survey the exact same locations as were surveyed during pre-construction. This approach gives information on the overall, landscape-level impact of the turbines, but less information on the specific impact of the turbines. Another approach is to select new point count locations in relation to the turbines (e.g., points close to turbines, 250 m away from turbines and 500 m away from turbines). The number of points and number of turbines sampled would depend on their configuration and on the diversity of habitats in which they are located. Stations should be selected so that some are downwind of turbines, based on prevailing wind direction, while others are upwind, as the noise impacts, and hence disturbance effects on birds may differ. An ideal design would incorporate both approaches, by selecting pre-construction point count locations in relation to proposed turbine sites based on the above design. However, this may not always be possible for various reasons, including uncertainty at the time of the initial surveys in the eventual location of the turbines. The appropriate design for a particular site should be determined at the time of EA approval, in consultation with the CWS. The extent and intensity of monitoring expected will depend on the species richness and densities present in the site pre-construction. Each station must be georeferenced by GPS. The habitat within 100 m of the station should be described in qualitative terms, unless a complete habitat map for the area has been prepared and the points can be placed on that habitat map. The habitat description should incorporate summary information on habitat structure (e.g., forest, marsh, field), dominant vegetation types within the habitat (e.g., major tree species), and, for forest or shrub habitats, an estimate of stand age and average stand height. The habitat coding system used by the Ontario Nest Records Scheme is recommended for coding the major structural habitat types in most parts of Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 16

17 Canada. It is described in the Scheme s manual at Point count timing and survey conditions: Point counts must be performed in the early morning during the breeding season, between dawn (one half hour before sunrise) and about 4 hours after sunrise. Later in the season, singing drops off more quickly surveys in late June and early July should usually be completed within 3 hours of sunrise. The peak breeding season varies geographically, but in most parts of Canada it extends from late May to early July. Consult the CWS for the optimal dates for a particular region. Each station should be surveyed twice, once early in the season, and once later in the season (at least 10 days after the first survey at a particular station). Point counts should be performed when there is as little wind as possible, because wind affects the observer s ability to hear birds. Usually, this means that wind speeds should be 3 or less on the Beaufort scale. However, in areas where the wind rarely drops below 4, even in the early morning (e.g., in some parts of the prairies or mountain ridges) this restriction may have to be relaxed. It is important to always begin point counts as early as possible in the morning (but not earlier than one half-hour before local sunrise), when the wind is generally calm so that windy conditions that may arise later in the morning can be avoided. Point counts should not be if it is raining unless precipitation is not more than a light drizzle (birds tend to stop singing in the rain). During post-construction point counts, in some areas, the sound of the turbines may affect the ability to hear birds. If this is a problem, it may be necessary to stop turbines near the point location while the point count is being undertaken; if wind conditions are low enough for point counts, then energy production from the turbine is likely to be minimal at that time anyway. Failure to control turbine noise during post-construction surveys may lead to under-detection of birds and over-emphasis of the impact of turbines on bird communities. If turbine noise is a problem and can not be adequately controlled, then the CWS should be consulted to determine whether an alternative point placement design may be feasible. Data recording: At each station, the surveyor should listen for ten minutes, recording all species seen or heard, along with an estimate of the number of individuals of each species. The surveyor should estimate the distance to each bird using a scale of 0 50 m, m and further than 100 m. Birds that move during the survey should be recorded in the closest distance category that they entered during the survey. Distances can often be difficult to judge when a bird is only heard singing in dense habitats, in which case the observer Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 17

18 should provide a best estimate. This will still be valuable for differentiating birds that are close from those that are very distant. Data that need to be reported are the number of birds of each species detected in each distance band. It is often easiest to track individual birds if they are first mapped onto a circular diagram using a standard set of symbols, and then the number of individuals counted up afterwards. Birds that fly over without stopping should be recorded separately as flyovers. Additional information that should be recorded include: Weather conditions (temperature, wind speed (on a Beaufort scale), % cloud cover, and presence of any precipitation should be recorded). Date and time of day. GPS coordinates of the point location. Name of the observer doing field work. A sample data form is included as Appendix 3 of this document, but it is not necessary to use this form provided that all of the relevant data are recorded. Use of some sort of data form is desirable to ensure that all required data are recorded in the appropriate format, thus facilitating later computer data entry. Microphone point counts Use of stereo microphones and digital recorders to record bird songs on point counts has several advantages: When skilled birders able to identify all the bird songs in the region are not available, microphones can be used to record birds on the point counts, and these can later be interpreted by a skilled birder after the field season. Recordings allow evaluation of observer effects, especially if there are changes in observers between pre- and post-construction monitoring. Even skilled birders differ in the proportion of birds present at a point count that they detect and it is important to calibrate among observers if the observers change. In addition, if any bird songs are heard during a count that cannot be identified by the primary observer, the recordings can be compared with reference material or sent to another skilled birder for validation. Tests of these approaches are discussed in Rempel, Hobson, Holborn, Van Wilgenburg, and Elliott Bioacoustic monitoring of forest songbirds: interpreter variability and effects of configuration and digital processing methods in the laboratory. J. Field Ornithol. 76(1):1 11. This approach has been adopted by a number of standardized programs, including the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program (protocol details are available in their terrestrial monitoring methods document, available on their web site: For these reasons, especially in areas expected to have significant numbers of breeding birds (e.g., native habitats such as forest or prairie), it may be desirable to use recordings as a standard approach for point counts. This can either be Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 18

19 done on a subset of points, concurrently with a skilled observer, to allow for measuring observer variability or can be done for all point counts, in which case observers can be used who are less skilled in bird song identification. However, it is also important to be aware of some of the limitations of microphones. In particular, as described below, they are very sensitive to external noise, such as wind (especially in areas with a lot of trembling aspen), vehicle noise, etc. If point counts must be conducted under windy or noisy conditions (e.g., there are few mornings during the breeding season with wind speeds below 3 on the Beaufort scale, or there is substantial traffic noise even in the very early morning) then microphones may not be an effective solution. A variety of recording units are potentially suitable for recording point counts. The key features are that the unit should have stereo microphones with sufficient sensitivity to detect birds singing at approximately the same distance that a skilled observer would be able to hear them. Each microphone should be partially directional (to enhance the stereo effect, thus facilitating counts of the number of individuals), but between them, the microphones should have an omnidirectional pickup, so that birds in all directions can be detected. Recordings should be made onto a digital recorder, in either high quality format (e.g., uncompressed CD quality), or in compressed formats (e.g., MP3) which seem to be generally adequate; recordings can also be made directly to computers by connecting microphones through sound cards. Digital recordings have the advantage that copies are readily made, and computer software for visualizing sonograms can be used to facilitate data analysis (although, unfortunately, software has not yet been developed for reliable automated identification). Two companies in Canada currently produce complete packages designed for field work that meet these standards (Riverforks: and Environment Audio Recording Systems (E.A.R.S.): Both of their systems are designed to be weather resistant. However, other systems could be readily designed for less cost using separately purchased components that would have suitable characteristics. Because the actual characteristics of different systems may vary, it is important that pre- and post-construction monitoring be carried out using comparable equipment. Record levels should be adjusted to avoid saturation (which leads to distortion). A high pass filter should be incorporated into the system to reduce noise from very low frequencies, which usually represent environmental noise rather than bird songs (only a few species such as grouse produce low frequency sounds). If possible, a standard volume calibration tone should be recorded, to allow standardization of playback volumes. For recording, microphones must be mounted on a tripod approximately 1 2 m above the ground in such a way that no vegetation will rub against them. The recorder should normally be positioned a few metres away from the microphones to avoid interference, and to minimize the impact of incidental noise. The operator should check that everything is properly connected by listening through headphones connected to the system prior to the start of the point count. Wind Turbines & Birds - Monitoring Protocols page 19